The first line of Matt Maher’s new song says “I woke up in darkness”. The first three words are my reality today. I woke up. The funny thing is… I didn’t know I was asleep.

Maybe it was a defense mechanism. Whatever the cause, I was sleeping. I had withdrawn from the world of sunshine to a place of darkness, a place of stillness, a place of quiet solitude.

Circumstances and situations piled on me suffocating me from the reality of life. Depression, sadness, anger and frustration blanketed me from the world of the living. In quietness I existed. Living, but not alive.

That’s when it happened. He called to me. I was lost so deep in my slumber that I didn’t hear His voice at first. Then He shouted. And the deafness that had overtaken me was broken. Light penetrated through the despair, and for the first time in a long time I breathed.

There is nothing so sweet as waking up, as breathing in and breathing out, as being alive, of being loved.

 

If you’d like more information on the stroller recall you can call 877-688-2326 or visit the web-site at www.maclaren.us/recall

Thanks so much Jay from Big House Youth Outreach for visiting with us today. If you’d like more information on Big House visit their web-site.

This weekend I got a chance to go visit our friends at Saving Grace. A few months ago I was there listening to Becky share her vision of making Saving Grace a home. Yesterday I got to see the results of their hard work. Thought you might enjoy some before and after pics!

Bedroom

Another bedroom

Bathroom before

After!

One of the living areas... before

What a transformation!

 If you’d like more information about Saving Grace, you can visit their web-site here.

This morning was amazing! I am totally loving Pay it Forward!!!

Its made me think of a poem that hung in my Noni’s (grandma) house. I memorized it as a little girl. As a girl I thought the words were beautiful. Today I experienced them for myself. It truly is better to give!

Let’s Pay it Forward today!

Keri

This old Chinese Proverb

If practiced each day

Would change the whole world

In a wonderful way

Its truth is so simple

It’s so easy to do

It works every time

 And successfully too

For you can’t do a kindness

Without a reward

Not in silver nor gold

But in Joy from the Lord

You can’t light a candle

To show others the way

Without feeling the warmth

Of that bright little ray

And you can’t pluck a rose

All fragrant with dew

Without part of its fragrance

Remaining with you

Helen Steiner Rice

Family Fun Calendar

Friday

JBU presents Cosi Fan Tutte (a comic opera)

Date: Nov. 6^th & 7^th

Time: 7:30pm

For more information: 479-524-7382

Saturday

Firesale LLC Clothing Give-away

Date: Nov. 7^th

Time: 10:00am—6:00pm

For more information: www.firesale-llc.com

For more community events check out KLRC’s community calendar.

For reviews of today’s featured movie, A Christmas Carol, or others movies now showing: www.pluggedinonline.com

Give Thanks {A Family Project}

Thanksgiving.

Have you heard of it? It’s the non-revenue holiday hidden between the big money-makers, Halloween and Christmas.

Marketing companies and toy manufacturers have made Oct. 31st and Dec. 25th every kid’s dream. Those are the days you get stuff.

And I’m not above it. It was my own child that answered the question: “What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?”

Answer: “Pulling out the Christmas decorations.”

But Thanksgiving isn’t about stuff. It’s not about hype or candy or gifts. It’s not even about pie. (Although….)

It is a day worthy of being celebrated. It’s a day to be generous. It’s a day to be gracious. It’s more than a day.

Thankfulness cures my children’s complaints. It stops grumbling in it’s tracks. Bickering doesn’t stand a chance with thankfulness in the room.

During this season, I’m giving thanksgiving a place of honor in my home with a Give Thanks Countdown Calendar. I think this can be a fun family project, the making and the doing.

Object: Every day remove the paper from the corresponding date and write down one thing each family member is thankful about.

You can order an adorable countdown calendar here on Etsy. But I decided to make my own with everyday materials. Feel free to be creative with what you have on hand or can find easily.

Supplies:

Fall placemat

Scrapbook stickers, leaf-shaped cutouts (mine have a sticky dot on the back)

Small brown paper sacks-enough for how many days you are going to count down-the whole month, 3 weeks, 1 week, etc. (I found mine in the gift bag section at Target)

Ribbon

1 Dowel

Glue gun

Chipboard letter or stickers for the “Give Thanks”

I numbered the scrapbook leaves with dates:

I cut the brown paper bags and placed them on the placemat (It took me several tries to fit them all on there, so there’s no right or wrong way).

I hot glued everything into place:

I glued three ribbon loops to hold the dowel rod:

I printed and cut slips of paper to put into each envelope (see below to print “I am thankful” template:

I’ve also written a Parent’s Activity Guide for Celebrating Thanksgiving!

Below is a printable jpeg for “I am thankful for” inserts and guide to Thanksgiving activities (scroll down to view them):

Iamthankfulfor1

Congratulations to the staff at Post 0218 Pediatric Therapy in Rogers. Winners of this weeks Office of the Week!

Family Fun Calendar

Kind at Heart Ministries fundraiser

Date: October 31st

Time: 11:00-3:00

For more information call: 479-238-4608

A complete list of local Fall Festivals and Trunk or Treats can be found here.

Thanks Courtney and Amber from Loving Choice for joining us on the Show this morning and for sharing your incredible stories of hope.

If you’d like more information about Loving Choices you can contact them at 479-631-6677 or online at www.supportlc.org

And here’s the link from the blog we shared this morning.

Family Fun Calendar

All Weekend:

Self Destruct in the Ozarks

Date: October 23rd—25th

Time: All day

For more information visit: www.teamselfdestruct.com

Saturday

Lifesource International will be hosting a Hike Against Hunger

Date: October 24th

Time: 7:30am

For more information: www.lifesourceinternational.org

A free breakfast will be provided by Panera. All proceeds will go to fight hunger right here in NWA.

NWA Healthy Marriages presents Marriage Monologs

Date: October 24th

Time: 9:00am—4:00pm

For more information: www.nwamarriages.com

Bella Vista Family Church of the Nazarene is hosting a Family Fall Festival

Date: October 24th

Time: 4:00pm—8:00pm

Location: 760 W. Lancashire Blvd. Bella Vista

There will be hayrides, face painting, games, hamburgers, chili, and much more. The event is free.

For reviews of today’s featured movie, Astro Boy, or others movies now showing: www.pluggedinonline.com